Firearm foregrip



Oct. 16, 1945. M. M. JOHNSON, JR 2,386,802

FIREARM FOREGRIP Filed Aug. 4, 1944 Patented a. is, 1945 FIREARM FOREGRIP Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., Brookline, Mass., assignor to Melvin M. Johnson, Brookline, Melvin M. Johnson, Jr., and Edward E. Rice, Boston,

Mass, as trustees of th Boston, Mass.

e Johnson Patent Trust,

. Application August 4, 1944, Serial No. 548,040

4 Claims.

This invention relates to rifles and the like small firearms, such, for example, as are shown in my prior Patents Nos. 2,094,156 and 2,215,470, granted September 28, 1937, and September 24, 1940, respectively.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a foregrip which may be quickly and easily converted into a monopod capable of providing a stable support for the barrel for horizontal and low elevation firing with a minimum of vibration and little or no tendency to creep. Another object is to provide a convertible foregrip which not only aifords protection to the user against the heat generated by repeated firing, but also permits stuficient ventilation for the parts to insure adequate air cooling.

Further objects will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a rifle embodying the present invention, the foregrip being shown in extended position to provide a monopod;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the rifle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the foregrip in folded or retracted position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line B6 of Fig. 3.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration is a rifle of the reciprocating barrel type, comprising a barrel I having its inner end portion slidably mounted within a receiver 2 and an adjoining radiator sleeve 3. The receiver and associated parts carrying the operating mechanism include a trigger 4, trigger guard 5, and a pistol grip 6 which depends from its under surface. The rear of the receiver is connected with a butt assembly comprising a pair of tubular members 8 and 9, the uppermost of which provides a housing for the main spring tube, and the outer ends of the tubes 8 and 9 support the butt or shoulder member Hi to which is attached the rear sling swivel H.

The construction of the receiver, operating mechanism and associated parts may be substantially the same as is shown in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,215,470, to which reference may be made for a more detailed description.

The radiator sleeve 3 is formed with a pair of spaced depending flanges i5 (Figs. 1 to 4), the forward or outer ends of which receive and are rigidly secured to an extension 16 integral with 55 the closed end of a depending yoke 11. The front sling swivel ll may be riveted or otherwise secured to the lower end of extension It, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The legs of the yoke I! are square to provide a fiat side and end edges, and these legs are attached to one end of a, foregrip 20 by a pivotal connection 2 i. The opposite end of the foregrip 20 is likewise attached to the legs of another yoke i'l rigidly secured in any suitable manner to a perforate plate 24 of generally semicylindrical shape. The plate 24 not only serves as a foot when the parts are extended to provide a monopod, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but also as a protecting shield for the foregrip and hand of the user when the parts are in folded or retracted position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The pivotal connections 2| are substantially identical, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each pivotal connection 2| comprises a plug 25 having a threaded connection with the end of the foregrip 20 and formed with an axial opening. The outer end of the plug is formed with a bifurcated extension 26, the base of which is integral with an annular shoulder 21, and the inner end of the plug is formed with a cylindrical recess 28. The bifurcated extension 26 snugly fits between the yoke legs 11 or I! so that the annular shoulder 21 may be seated squarely either on the flat side edges, as shown in Fig. 5, or the'flat end edges of the yoke legs, as shown in Fig. 2. A retractible rod 30 is slidably mounted in the axial opening of the plug 25 and its outer end is provided with a head 3| which has a sliding fit between the bifurcated ends 26. A pivot pin 32 extends through aligned openings formed in the legs of the yoke and head 3|, the central portion of the pin 32 being of reduced cross-section throughout the area of contact with the head 3 I, as indicated at 33 in Fig. 6.

The inner end of the rod 33 projects inwardly beyond the plug 25, and a compression spring 34 is circumposed about the rod with its outer end seated within the recess 28 and its opposite end acting against a washer 35 carried by the inner end of the rod 30. A pair of lock nuts 36 not only hold the parts in position, but also provide means for maintaining the desired degree of adjustment or compression on the spring 34. Each end of the foregrip 2B and the plug 25 are drilled to provide a small opening 40 (Fig. 5) to receive the hooked end 4! of a circular-shaped wire clip 42 which serves as a locking pin to prevent accidental rotation of these parts. The construction of the locking device at each end of the foregrip is substantially the same, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that when the clip ends 4| are withdrawn from the holes 4!! the foregrip may be rotated so as to permit disengagement from the plugs and disassembly of the parts. 1

Both the foregrip 20 and the plate 24 may he swung about the pivot pins 32 carried by the yoke l7 and I7, respectively, since the springs 34 yield sufficient to permit relative movement between the bifurcated ends 26 and head 3'! and consequent extension of the parts, which allows the shoulders 27 to travel around the corners of the respective yoke legs; but as the springs 34 at all times urge the parts together, it is apparent that once either shoulder 27 has traveled around the corner of the yoke legs, it is drawn inwardly toward and seated on the fiat edges of the sides or ends of the yoke legs, as the case may be. Thus, the springs 34 not only maintain the shoulders 21 squarely against the sides or end edges of the yoke, but furthermore urge the rods 3&1 inwardl so that the walls of the hole in the head 3| are maintained in contact with the reduced areas 33 of the pivot pins 32, thereby providing a lock which prevents accidental removal of these pivot pins.

With this construction and arrangement, the foregrip 2i) and associated plate 24 may quickly and easily be manipulated to assume any one of three operating positions, viz: (1) As a monopod at maximum elevation, as shown by the solid lines of Figs. 1 and 2-; (2) as a monopod at minimum elevation, as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 1; or (3) as a foregrip with the plate 24 in retracted position and serving as a protective shield, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment'o. the invention, it is to be understood that the disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In 'a firearm having a barrel and supporting means embracing said barrel, a foregrip pivotally secured at one end to-said supporting means and pivotally secured at its opposite end to a plate adapted to embrace the under surface of said supporting means, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the foregrip and plate maybe folded to retracted position beneath said supporting means so that the plate provides a protective shield for the foregrip, or to one of a plurality of extended positions wherein the foregrip provides a support with the plate serving as a foot therefor.

2. In a firearm having a barrel and supporting means embracing said barrel, a foregrip, a plate shaped to embrace the undersurface of said supporting means, and pivotal connections between one end of said foregrip and said supporting means and between the opposite end of said foregrip and said plate, said pivotal connections being so constructed and arranged that the foregrip and plate may be folded to retracted position beneath said supporting means so that the plate provides a protective shield for the foregrip, or to one of a plurality of extended positions wherein the foregrip provides a supporting member with the plate serving as a foot therefor.

3. In a, firearm having a barrel and supporting means embracing said barrel, a foregrip, a plate shaped to embrace the undersurface of said supporting means, and pivotal connections between one end of said foregrip and said supporting means and between the opposite end of said foregrip and said plate, said pivotal connections being so constructed and arranged that the fore-grip and plate may be folded to retracted position beneath said supporting means so that the plate provides a protective shield for the foregrip, or to one of a plurality of extended positions wherein the foregrip provides a monopod with the plate serving as a foot therefor, each of said pivotal connections comprising .yieldabl'e means to hold the parts in one of said positions.

4. In firearm having a barrel and supporting means embracing said barrel, a foregrip, a plate shaped to embrace the undersurface of said supporting means, pivotal connections between one end of said foregrip and said supporting means and b'etweenthe opposite end-of said ioregr-ip and said plate, said pivotal connections being .so constructed and arranged that the foregrip may be folded to a retracted position beneath said supporting means with the plate positioned to provide a protective shield, or to cm: of a plurality of extended positions wherein the foregrip and plate constitute a monopod for supporting the barrel at different elevations, and resilient means associated with each 'of said pivotal connections for yieldingly holding the parts in the selected position.

MELVIN M. JOHNSON, JR. 

